The Local Government Act provides opportunity for property owners to change the OCP or zoning designations on their properties by applying for an amendment through the local governing municipality.
Public Hearings are held to provide a platform for public comment on such proposed amendments. The City of West Kelowna schedules Public Hearings after the first reading of the proposed amendment bylaw has been given, and Council has authorized proceeding to a Public Hearing.
In your community, ads are published in local newspapers on Wednesdays and can be reviewed on our Public Notices webpage.
Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaws |
The Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw is the long-term vision and consolidation of Council’s policies and objectives for land use, community well being and the form and character of development. Property owners can apply to amend land use designations within the Official Community Plan to permit uses not allowed under the current designation. The Zoning Bylaw guides land use by regulating the permitted use and density of land and siting, size and dimensions of structures. A zoning amendment or “rezoning” is the process of changing the zoning to allow use of the land not permitted under the current zoning. An OCP and zoning amendment can be considered simultaneously. |
Public Hearing Process |
Public hearings are generally conducted in the following format:
Public Hearings have limited seating, available on a first-come, first-service basis; alternatively, the City will provide opportunity for the public to speak by phone and are encouraging the public to watch via live stream at westkelownacity.ca/webcasts. After the Public Hearing When deliberating the third reading of a bylaw, Council takes into consideration information received at the Public Hearing, information submitted prior to the Public Hearing and relevant city policies and objectives. Examples of information can include input from members of the community, submissions from the applicant and / or the applicant's consultants, stakeholders' submissions and reports from city staff. Note: After the Public Hearing is concluded, Council cannot receive or consider any submissions or new information from the applicant or public regarding the application. If a submission is received after the Public Hearing, it will be provided to the Planning Department for information but will not be circulated to Council. |
Public Notification |
The City of West Kelowna, in accordance with the Local Government Act, notifies the public of upcoming Public Hearings by:
Copies of the bylaw and related materials may be viewed online at westkelownacity.ca/councilcommittee. |
How to Make a Submission |
All submissions must be made Attn: Corporate Officer, File Number and must include your name and address by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before the Public Hearing is held. Written submission can be provided to Council in advance of the scheduled public hearing date via:
Any written submissions received before 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before the Council Meeting will be provided to Council as part of the publicly posted Agenda. All submissions received before the close of the Public Hearing are provided to Council and become part of the public record. Note: Council cannot receive submissions after the conclusion of the Public Hearing. |
Register to Speak via Phone at a Public Hearing |
Due to limited seating, the City will be providing participation by phone as follows:
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Submission Deadlines |
Submissions made in advance of the Public Hearing must be received by 4:00 p.m. on the business day prior to the public hearing. Any correspondence or written submission received after this deadline will not be circulated to Council, however may be presented at the Public Hearing by the person making the submission or their representative. Correspondence received after the 4:00 p.m. deadline may be included in the Public Hearing Binder and the name(s) of the individual submitting correspondence may be included in the minutes of the Public Hearing. Note: Correspondence received prior to 1st and 2nd readings of the bylaw amendment and authorized to proceed to public hearing does not form part of the public hearing record, but is retained within the application file. Please re-submit your comments if necessary. |
Agenda and Minutes |
The agenda for an upcoming Public Hearing will be posted under the Council Meeting occurring on the same date. The agenda will be posted on or about 12 p.m. on the Friday preceding the date of the proceedings, and remain posted until the conclusion of the Public Hearing: Draft (unofficial) minutes can be viewed under the Agenda of the next regular Council Meeting that follows the date of the Public Hearing. Agendas are posted on or about 12 p.m. on the Friday preceding the scheduled meeting. If you are having trouble finding the minutes of a public hearing, or if you require an official copy of the minutes (that is those minutes that Council has adopted) please contact Legislative Services at 778-797-2250. Fees will apply for copying and/or processing of official minutes. |
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